The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories (39 page)

Now, here we are. Today’s the day. I’m nervous, but I think it’s a good set of nerves. We’re going to be a family recognized by law and that is something that’s important to us. Our wills change today as well. If something happens to me, Katelyn inherits most of my estate, with trusts being set up for Quinn, Peyton and Elle. If something were to happen to Katelyn, I’ll get the girls. But we’re going to live until we’re one hundred, so we don’t have to worry about any of this. It’s nothing but a formality in my eyes.

I dress in my black suit with a white button down. I’m forgoing a tie today. I want to look presentable, but not overdone. I add some gel to my hair, giving it a teased look. I slip my black suit jacket on and fix my collar before leaving my bathroom. When I step into our bedroom, Quinn is sitting on my bed, dressed similarly to me.

“What’s up, bud?” I ask, as I sit down next to him to put my shoes on.

“Are you scared?” I cock my head and look at him. He’s fidgeting, twisting his hands together.

“No, are you?”

Quinn shrugs. “I don’t know. What if Katelyn changes her mind?”

I sit up, leaning my elbows on my knees so he can see me. “She’s not going to change her mind, Quinn. Katelyn wants this. She wants to be your mom.”

“I’m scared.”

“About what? You know you can tell me.”

Quinn looks at the photo that sits beside Katelyn’s side of the bed. It’s of the five of us at my apartment in California. It was our first family photo and you can see how much Katelyn already loves Quinn.

“What if my real mom comes back?”

This wasn’t exactly why I thought he was scared, not that I had an idea. I sit back and exhale while rubbing my hands down my legs. We’ve never really spoken about his mom and there’s not much I can tell him. But I can show him. I get up and head into my closet and to the box that holds pictures of her the night that we met. I’ve only saved them for Quinn because he has a right to know.

I come back in the room and hand him the photo. He takes it from my hand and stares at the two people who created him.

“I know we’ve never discussed your mother, but I’ll answer any questions you have to the best of my ability.”

Quinn sighs before looking at me with tears in his eyes. “Can she take me away?”

I shake my head. “She can’t. You’re mine, and you’ll soon be Katelyn’s too. When you were born your birth mother left you at my house. I didn’t even know her name. We weren’t dating. We weren’t even friends. She just showed up, set you on the floor, and said that you were mine before walking out. All I got from her was her name, so when you were a few months old we had a blood test done to make sure that you were mine. I didn’t want some other dad out there missing their son, just in case. But when the results came back, I was informed she signed away her rights, which means she has no claim on you.”

“She didn’t want me?”

“I don’t know about that, bud, she was young and not able to take care of you. Not like I could. And that doesn’t matter because I wanted you. Grandma and aunt Yvie wanted you. The second that grandma saw you, she was in love. And those three women downstairs, they love you, so I don’t want you thinking for a minute that you’re not wanted.”

Quinn falls into my arms, hugging me tightly. “I love you, dad.”

“I love you too, Quinn. Now, what do you say we go find those Powell women and make them James’?”

“I think that’s a good idea.”

“Me too, bud.” I ruffle his hair as soon as he pulls away. I finish tying my shoes before following him out the door. I stop and put my hand in my pocket, feeling for the three presents I have in there. I don’t know if there’s a protocol for this, but I couldn’t let today happen without some gifts.

I walk into the kitchen as soon as I’m downstairs. I stop dead in my tracks when I see Katelyn staring out the kitchen window dressed in a vibrant red dress. This lady in red is going to be the death of me. She turns, as if in slow motion, her mouth dropping open.

“What?” I ask as I watch her jaw move up and down.

“You’re so f’ing hot.”

I turn my head down slightly and laugh. I step forward, placing my hands on her hips. I lean down so that I’m almost kissing her. “Say fuck, Katelyn.”

She shakes her head.

I rub my nose along her jaw, nipping along the way. “Say fuck, Katelyn. I want to hear you tell me I’m fucking hot,” I say as I bite her ear, pulling it gently.

“You don’t play fair.”

“I’m not playing, baby. I want to hear your dirty little mouth tell me I’m fucking hot.”

“You’re so fucking hot, Harrison.”

I cup her face and reward her with a searing kiss. “Are you ready to become Katelyn Powell-James without getting hitched?”

“You know it!”

––––––––

“G
ood afternoon Mr. James and Ms. Powell. I see you’re here to petition the court for adoption of Quinn James, Peyton Powell and Elle Powell. I see that the minor children are present for this hearing?”

“Yes, sir,” I say, squeezing Katelyn’s hand.

“And your attorney?”

“He’s not present, sir. He believes everything is in order and isn’t needed.”

The Judge shuffles the papers around before looking at us. “I’ll start with you Mr. James. Are you prepared to offer financial stability to the Powell children in the event you and Ms. Powell part ways?”

“Yes, sir, I am. In your paperwork you’ll find that trusts have been set up for both of the girls.”

He looks down at his paperwork and nods.

“Ms. Powell, are you prepared to offer financial stability to Quinn James as well as your children in the event you and Mr. James part?”

“Yes, sir,” she says confidently.

“Very well. It also states that you’ll each be taking each other’s names. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir. It’s a family decision that we combine our names.”

He nods and writes something down. “I see nothing further. Congratulations Mr. and Ms. Powell-James, you have three children who,” he leans slightly to look at the kids behind us, “are eagerly waiting for their parents.” With a slam of the gavel, we’re done and now a really real family.

Katelyn and I turn and hug the kids. Of course, she pulls Quinn into her arms and the twins jump into mine.

“Can we call you dad now?” Elle asks.

“Only if you want to.”

“We want to,” they say in unison causing us all to laugh.

“Come on family, we have a lunch date.” We walk out of the courthouse as a family and walk down the street to one of Beaumont’s finest dining establishments. We usually take the kids to the crazy pizza palace, but today calls for something a little more upscale.

I open the door of
Whimsicality
to cheers and a lot of clapping. A banner saying
Welcome Powell-James Family
hangs on the wall, making this feel almost complete. Everyone is with us today, including my mom and Mr. Powell, but it’s Josie that’s there to meet us as she hugs the kids with tears in her eyes.

We make our rounds before sitting down to a catered meal. This is how we wanted to spend our first day as a really real family – with the family that brought us all together. I stand, clinking my fork against my glass.

“I just have a few things to say. First, we want thank you all for supporting our decision. I know a lot of you asked why Katelyn and I didn’t get married, and the simple answer is that marriage isn’t for us right now. But the option is there if we want to take it. Secondly, I’ve been blessed many times over since moving to Beaumont and I thank each and every one of you for making Quinn and I feel welcomed. Lastly,” I say, pulling out the bracelets I’ve been hiding in my pocket all day. “I’m going to start with my youngest.” I walk over to Elle and kneel down in front of her. “Elle, I give you this bracelet as a token of my love and devotion to you as your dad.” I clasp it on her wrist and kiss her on the cheek, earning a giggle. “Now for my drummer girl, Peyton.” I repeat the same words I said to her sister and get a high-five in return. When I get back to Katelyn, there are tears in her eyes. I bend over, kiss her lightly and open my palm so she can see what I have for her.

“Harrison,” she says as she covers her mouth.

I bend down and ask for her hand. She extends her left hand and it shakes as I slip on the ring I had designed for her. It’s a diamond solitaire surrounded by Quinn, Peyton and Elle’s birthstones. “This is my commitment to you and our family, from here and this day forward, I’m yours forever.”

She cups my face, threading her fingers through my hair. “I love you, Harrison Powell-James.”

Not as much as I love you, I want to tell her, but I don’t. I let her have this moment.

THE BEAUMONT SERIES

Forever My Girl

My Unexpected Forever

Finding My Forever

Finding My Way

THE BEAUMONT SERIES NOVELLA

My Everything

THE ARCHER BROTHERS

Here with Me

STAND ALONE NOVELS

––––––––

L
ost in You

Lost in Us

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by

Raine Thomas

C
ole knew when he hit the first curb that he’d had too much to drink. He cursed as he jerked the wheel to bring the car back into the correct lane, nearly swiping a garbage can on the dark residential street. Pain shot through his shoulder as he righted the wheel, generating a more vicious curse.

You dumbass!
The thought penetrated the haze coating his mind.
Don’t ding the Maserati
.

Focusing intently and clutching the wheel until his knuckles went numb, he registered he was less than a mile from home. He wanted to get there before he ended up with a DUI. Management would likely bench him for half the coming season if he screwed up like that.

His marinating brain decided this meant he should go faster. Get home quick before getting caught. He picked up speed, weaving along the back streets leading to his house. Thank God the downtown Atlanta nightclub was less than five miles from home.

Just as his driveway came into sight, the glaring lights of an oncoming car pierced his windshield. He slammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid the collision. The Maserati hit a patch of ice. The world spun as the other car passed without impact.

The last thing Cole registered was the large bulk of a magnolia tree speeding toward him and the fleeting thought that his beloved car was about to get much more than a ding.

*    *    *

A
persistent beeping sound brought him back around. He slowly opened his eyes. A speckled ceiling came into focus. One of the beeping sounds increased as he registered his surroundings. Sunlight filled the spacious hospital room.

“Cole? Cole, honey?”

He glanced over at the sound of his mother’s voice. She sat on his left side holding his hand. The moment he looked at her, she gave it a tight squeeze.

“Can you hear me, honey?” she asked. The tears in her brown eyes tugged at Cole’s conscience.

Before he could answer, his dad’s rumbling southern drawl filled the room. “‘Course he can hear you, Brenda. He only has a concussion, for heaven’s sake.” He moved closer to the bed, towering over his wife. He put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and caught Cole’s gaze. “Crash sure didn’t help his god-awful looks, though.”

“Rick!” his mom gasped.

Cole found himself comforted by the normal banter. He hadn’t yet looked down at his body, afraid of what he might see.

Lifting a corner of his mouth, he said, “Yeah, Ol’ Man. You’re scarring my sensitive psyche here.”

His dad guffawed at that. “Well, at least she didn’t call me Richard Dale Parker. Then I’d know I was in real trouble.”

“You two,” his mom censured, shaking her head. Her bob of sable-colored hair waved around her pretty face. She focused on Cole. “How are you feeling, honey? Do you remember what happened?”

“I remember,” he replied, adding a private
sort of
. “And I feel fine, actually.”

The answer surprised him. It had been a while since he last remembered being pain-free. For a terrifying moment, he feared he was paralyzed. But he moved his fingers and toes and felt the blanket and sheets against his skin. Lifting his arms, he tested for injury.

A movement just outside his room’s door caught his eye. He spotted his brother Wyatt talking with someone wearing a lab coat. Though he tried, he couldn’t read Wyatt’s expression since he was mostly turned away from him.

“We told Avery not to worry about making the trip out here,” his mother said. “The doctor assured us it wasn’t serious, and I didn’t want her to have to worry about Sam.”

“Of course,” Cole agreed, grateful his older sister wasn’t hauling his five-year-old nephew across town at the crack of dawn. “I’ll call her later. No need for all of the fuss.”

“You’re one lucky son of a buck,” his father said, the words drowning out the machines in the room. “If you’d been going even a little faster...”

The guilt resurged. Cole prayed that wasn’t moisture he saw in his father’s gaze. His dad never cried.

Wyatt saved him from responding when he entered the room. After looking between each of them and quickly assessing the situation, he said, “Mom, Dad, why don’t you have a word with Dr. Rosen about Cole’s aftercare? Then grab a cup of coffee and a muffin or something. Put it on my account.”

As a cardiologist on staff at the hospital, Wyatt would make sure their parents were taken care of, Cole knew. They nodded and Brenda bent down to kiss Cole’s forehead.

“You’re my baby, you know,” she murmured. “You’re not allowed to scare me like that.”

He winced. “Sorry, Mom.”

She ruffled his hair and let his dad lead her from the room. Wyatt closed the door behind them.

Seeing Wyatt’s expression when he turned back from the door, Cole groaned. “Don’t start with me.”

“Don’t start with you? That’s asking an awful lot when you’ve been a complete dumbass.”